DUNK STAR JUMPS AT CHANCE.Byline: Gerry Gittelson Daily News Staff Writer Nick Taz Smith, a 26-year-old forklift operator from Long Beach, showed some pretty good lift all by himself. Smith, just 5-11, won the slam-dunk contest to highlight the first day of the Hoop-It-Up 3-on-3 basketball tournament Saturday at Cal State Northridge. Smith, pleasing the overflow crowd with 360-degree dunks and reverse alley-oop jams, has never played organized basketball. But he had no problem outdunking 20 taller hopefuls, including co-finalist Blayne Seigel, a 6-7 former Santa Barbara City College As of 2004, total enrollment of full-time and part-time students reached 17,000. It is currently led by President John Romo, who will be retiring at the end of Spring 2008 after seven years with the institution. forward. ``I love it,'' said Smith, who was awarded nifty Nike sunglasses sunglasses A tinted pair of glasses used to ↓ light arriving at the eye, which are labeled according to the amount of UV light blocked; nonprescription glasses are classified according to use and amount of UV radiation blocked Sunglasses for his effort. ``Slam-dunking is what I love to do. That's why I came down here; I'm not even in the tournament.'' Smith, who played wide receiver one season for the Long Beach City College football team, also won last year's slam-dunk contest, but on nine-foot baskets. Arenas does in Arlington: The most entertaining 3-on-3 contest matched the San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. Valley-based Untouchables untouchables: see Harijans. Untouchables lowest caste in India; social outcasts. [Ind. Culture: Brewer Dictionary, 1118] See : Banishment , led by Grant High star Gilbert Arenas Gilbert Jay Arenas Jr. (born January 6, 1982 in Florida[0]) is an American professional basketball player currently with the NBA's Washington Wizards. Arenas overcame his modest NBA debut, including being a second-round draft pick, to establish himself as one of the most and San Fernando's Devin Montgomery, vs. Ivy-Arlington, featuring players from Southern Section Division I-A quarterfinalist Arlington High of Riverside. Like a scene out of ``White Men Can't Jump  This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling.You can assist by [ editing it] now. ,'' there was an equal amount of spectacular plays and trash talk trash talk n. Disparaging, often insulting or vulgar speech about another person or group. between junior Arenas, the region's best L.A. City Section player, and Arlington's Jimmy Miggins, the Riverside County Player of the Year who averaged 28 points a game this season. Arenas sparked the Untouchables to a 16-11 win, thanks to an array of driving dunks and no-look assists. ``Get off the court!'' a smiling Arenas screamed after dishing to Montgomery for the the winning basket. ``We were just having fun,'' Arenas said of the verbal jostling. Miggins, who scored most of Ivy-Arlington's points on dunks before Arenas guarded him and shut him down, found it impossible to guard Arenas one-on-one. ``I'll remember him,'' Miggins said. ``He's pretty good.'' Also: Playoffs in all divisions conclude today. The Top Gun championship, advancing the winner to the regional playoffs, is scheduled for 2 p.m. on the main court. ``Things are going very, very well,'' organizer Chuck Price said. ``We're offering a lot more this year, like officials on all 70 courts. We never had that before.'' CAPTION(S): Photo PHOTO Nick Taz Smith soared above the rest in the slam-dunk competition at CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge . John McCoy/Daily News |
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